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Kolkata Metro will indefinitely suspend Green Line services every Sunday for testing the communication-based train control system, affecting the East-West corridor from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector Five
East-West Metro, currently operating in two stretches, Sealdah-Sector V and Esplanade-Howrah Maidan, will soon be connected for a continuous route from Sector V to Howrah Maidan. (News18)
Kolkata Metro announced on Wednesday that services on its Green Line will be indefinitely suspended every Sunday. The Green Line, also known as the East-West Metro, is one of the most vital routes of the Kolkata Metro.
The closure, which will affect the East-West Metro corridor, is scheduled for weekly testing of the communication-based train control system. The traffic block will be effective from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector Five. This testing is part of efforts to improve connectivity, particularly the ongoing project to link Howrah with Sealdah.
According to a Times of India report, this closure will allow for work on the Sealdah-Esplanade section, which is nearing completion. The closure is expected to continue until the section receives safety approval.
Currently, the East-West Metro operates in two separate stretches: the 9.2 km Sealdah-Sector V (Green Line 1) and the 4.8 km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan (Green Line 2). The upcoming work aims to connect these sections, enabling a continuous run from Sector V to Howrah Maidan.
A key focus will be on integrating the advanced signalling system across all sections to ensure safe and frequent train operations. According to the report, the East-West Metro operates on an automatic signalling system, known as the communication-based train control (CBTC), which features anti-collision software. This advanced system will enable trains to run at 90-second intervals. Since January, signal and telecommunication tests have been underway on the Esplanade-Sealdah section.
The report further states that the officials noted that several pending tasks, including signal and telecommunication tests for implementing CBTC in the new section, will be completed on upcoming Sundays.
Both operational sections currently use CBTC, but the software will need to be upgraded once the final 2.6 km stretch is opened. “After receiving approval from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS), all three sections will be integrated with the upgraded CBTC system, requiring another shutdown,” an official explained.
